Google vs. ChatGPT: What the Numbers Really Mean for Small Biz Marketing

Ahrefs just rolled out a public dashboard that tracks referral traffic from Google Search and ChatGPT. It updates monthly and, while the data is still young, it’s already painting an interesting picture.

The Early Numbers

Looking at July, the sites tracked show:

• Google: 41.9% of total traffic

• ChatGPT: 0.19% of total traffic

Month-over-month growth tells a more nuanced story:

• Google traffic ticked up 1.4%

• ChatGPT referrals jumped 5.3%

The month before, the growth pattern was flipped, showing just how much these numbers can swing. But one thing is clear—Google still dominates, while ChatGPT is quietly growing as a new channel.

The dashboard even notes:

• “ChatGPT is growing 3.8x faster than Google.”

• “This represents a measurable new channel that didn’t even exist 2 years ago.”

Why It Matters for Your Team

For small business marketers, this isn’t about abandoning Google—it’s still the workhorse driving most traffic. But it is about keeping an eye on new opportunities. ChatGPT referrals are small, but they’re real. And as AI-powered search keeps evolving, you want to be in position early rather than scrambling to catch up later.

Think of it like social media in the early days. You didn’t ditch your website, but being an early mover on Facebook or Instagram often gave businesses an edge.

How the Data Is Collected

Ahrefs only includes sites that show up in all months of the study, which makes the growth rates more reliable. The tracker is also limited to websites using Ahrefs’ free Web Analytics tool. So while it’s not a complete picture of the internet, the trends are directionally useful.

One caveat: some AI tools strip referrer data, meaning traffic may not always show up as “from AI.” In other words, the real numbers could be a bit higher than what’s on the dashboard.

What Small Biz Teams Should Do

• Keep your SEO house in order. Google still sends the lion’s share of traffic, so your main investment should stay there.

• Start testing for AI visibility. Look at how your brand shows up when you ask ChatGPT (or other AI tools) questions your customers would ask.

• Track changes over time. Use tools like Ahrefs’ dashboard as a pulse check. If AI referrals start climbing steadily, you’ll know it’s time to lean in more.

Bottom line: Google’s still king, but ChatGPT is knocking on the door. Smart small biz marketers will watch both lines and adapt their playbook as the landscape shifts.